Summary: The Description of Joint Quantum Entities
and the Formulation of a Paradox
Diederik Aerts
FUND and CLEA,
Brussels Free University,
Krijgskundestraat 33, 1160 Brussels
e-mail: diraerts@vub.ac.be
Abstract
We formulate a paradox in relation to the description of a joint entity
consisting of two subentities by standard quantum mechanics. We put
forward a proposal for a possible solution, entailing the interpretation of
`density states' as `pure states'. We explain where the inspiration for this
proposal comes from and how its validity can be tested experimentally.
We discuss the consequences on quantum axiomatics of the proposal.
1 Formulation of the Paradox
Quantum mechanics, after more than 70 years, still poses fundamental problems
of understanding. Many physicists believe these problems are `only' problems
of `physical interpretation' of the mathematically well defined `standard formal-
ism'. In this paper we will show that this is not necessarily so. We will show
that the problem of quantum mechanics connected to the existence of nonprod-